Al-Mawlud-Un-Nabwiyyah
By Shiekh Imam Ahmed Rida
All praise to Allah
Who sent His beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) for all the worlds and appointed him as the intercessor for
the sinners in this world and on The Day of Resurrection. We pray to Allah to
send His blessings and peace on him and all his family and those with whom He
is pleased, forever and eternally. And I bear witness that there is no God save
Allah Who is One and has no partner and I bear witness that the Prophet
Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is His Last
Messenger whom He has sent with guidance and true Deen.
The Holy Quran
which is the final revealed message from Allah opens with these words:
"Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim"
"In the Name of Allah, The
Beneficent, The Most Merciful,"
"All praise to Allah, Lord of
All the Worlds, The Beneficent, The Most
Merciful, Master of the Day of Requital We worship You Alone and beg You
Alone for help. Guide us on the straight path of those whom You have favored,
not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of
those who have gone astray."
(Ameen)
Allah revealed
His mercy through His Messenger in His Holy Book, which tells His believers
the way to approach His Court. Allah has sent His Messenger Surah Fatiha
(above) and in the surah He has shown the believers how to ask for His Guidance
and Blessings for themselves.
This Surah and
all but one of the other Surahs of The Holy Quran begins with "Bismillahir
Rahmanir Rahim" which means, "In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent,
The Most Merciful." In The Holy Quran, Surah 57 (Hadid), Ayah 3, Allah Ta'
ala refers to Himself in the following terms:
"He is the First and the Last,
The Evident and The Hidden and He knows everything."
For a human being
to pronounce the word `ism' [Name] before the word `Allah', Glorious is He, and
to precede it with the word "bi", meaning "in", or
"by''' indicates that Allah is his Lord.
The Arabic
expression "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim'' meaning "In The Name of
Allah, The Beneficent, The Most Merciful" was granted to our Holy Rasool
(Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), by Allah, as the introduction to everything he
recited from Allah and as the introduction to everything that he did. So not
only is Allah the Lord of our Final Prophet, (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), but Allah is
Lord of all those who follow our Final Prophet- and in fact the Lord of all
creation.
To approach Allah directly, whether
it be through one's mind, intellect, vision or thought, is impossible. Holy Qur' an, Surah An' am, ayah 103, says,
referring to Allah:
"No vision can grasp Him but
His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension (Al Atiif) yet is
acquainted with all things (Al Khabir)."
Thus there is a
need for an intermediary person to approach and reach Him. The use of the
expression "bismi", meaning " In the Name" indicates the
existence of this intermediary and purports to point to His Sublime Essence-
indeed the intermediary is the compulsory line source of approach to Allah and
thus will hold a great station of praiseworthiness. (Muqam-e-Mahmud)
“Bismi” which is
the Arabic for "In the Name" shows that the person who is speaking,
is speaking on behalf of someone else or by the sanction or authority of
someone else. (The "i" on the Name "Allah" indicates
"of Allah".) So the person is speaking “In the Name of Allah”, in
Arabic “Bismillahi.” Just as the Taurat of Musa (Alaihis Salam) prophesied,
(see Deuteronomy 18:15-19) and as the Holy Quran proves, our beloved Prophet
Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) when revealing The Holy Quran spoke
"In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Most Merciful".
Everything he
said and did was "In The Name of Allah", that is on behalf of Allah
and sanctioned by Allah. The person who speaks “In the Name of” someone else is
the messenger of that person. In this case, which is essential to Islam, the
original person is Allah; His Messenger, inextricably and permanently linked
to Him, is our beloved Prophet Messenger Muhammad, (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam).
Three things have
thus been identified as requisite for knowing Allah and for the individual to
reach Him Exalted is He! First, Allah Himself, secondly, a seeker and thirdly,
an intermediary who will aid the seeker's search and help him/her to reach
Allah. The one who seeks is the Entire World; the intermediary who will take
the creation towards Him, is the Blessed Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam)
whose essence conveys nothing but this.
It is for this
reason that evidence of The Messenger (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), (in the
expression "bismi") has been placed grammatically before the Name of
Allah, the Most Merciful, by the Exalted Himself to convey to His creation,
from beginning to end, that the source and means to approach Him exists only
through acknowledging, listening to and obeying a messenger, and in the
final dispensation, that Messenger is the Prophet Messenger Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam).
Apart from the
Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), no other guide has the
qualification of absolute evidence as it cannot be proved that any other has
guided all creatures, or that any other has not been guided by some form of
created being, rather than by Allah Himself. It is in fact the Prophet Muhammad
(Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) who has guided all, and is hence the true inheritor
of all that is implied by the expression "Bismi". Nevertheless, the
other Prophets (Salatuwas Salam) have indeed been guides of their respective
Ummahs. However it is Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) who has
guided them. That is, they are guided by the Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam).
Sheikh Abdul Haqq
Muhadith Dehlvi (Rahmatullahi Alaih) writes that the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam) was teaching the other prophets (Salatuwas Salam) in alim
arwah, before they were sent to earth to teach mankind the Unity of Allah.
Ultimately The
Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) became the source of approach for
all the creatures that have been brought into existence, from beginning to end.
The combined word
"Bismi" then, consists of "Bi" (in), "Ism" (Name)
the two "i"s between "bi" and "ism" are elided,
that is, they are made as one. (The "i" on the end of
"Bismi" is grammatically necessary in Arabic because it follows
"Bi") This combined word "Bismi" – ‘in the name (of) (i.e. on
‘behalf of’ or with the authority of) clearly indicates a messenger is speaking
on behalf of someone else. "Bismillahi" indicates that the messenger
is the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet Messenger Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) is the one to whom these words were given. Therefore
"Bismi" not only indicates the Holy Prophet, but also shows his
inextricable relationship to Allah, the relationship of being Allah's Servant
and Messenger.
He, who, on
behalf of Allah, has guided all on the Path of Allah, is the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam). Now,
amongst all the creatures of Allah there are many who have no direct
relationship with Allah and there are those who do have a relationship with Him
- through an intermediary. These intermediaries are the guides (Mehdi), not the
guided. They are not self-appointed guides, though their position as guides is
indirect, whereas the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) is absolutely and surely a guide as well as being
directly guided. Let us look at the above situation from a symbolic point of view, by considering the Arabic word
"Kalimah". Put simply, "Kalimah means, "word" and it
has several meanings and applications. A word can be a noun, a verb or a
letter. A noun can be used as a subject of a sentence, or a predicate. A verb
can be used as a predicate, but not as the subject of a sentence. A letter
cannot be used as either a subject or a predicate.
Symbolically, we
can say, that those created beings who have no links with Allah are classed as
the "letters" and are in a disconnected state, just like individual
letters scattered about.
22nd Surah
of The Holy Quran, Hajj, ayah 11:
“…And man worshipped Allah on the
edge, then if any good reaches him, then he is content with that and if a trial
befall upon him, he turns round his face. There is for him loss of this world
and the hereafter both. This is a manifest loss."
People like those
described in the above ayah are neither subject nor predicate, but are like
letters scattered about. Some creatures
have links with Allah. Others have lost their links with Him. Muslims and
guides are classed as predicates and not subjects. The person of Prophet
Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is of course both predicate and subject
and without any intermediary. So Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is
"Ism" (Name) as he is linked to His Lord and others are linked to him
and this is the state (condition) of "Ism". One of the qualities of
"Ism" is that the definite article joins in it. 'Hamd' (praise) is a
limited praise, while Tahmeed (Praise of Allah) is the Takseer (multiplication)
of Hamd (praise) and the name `Muhammad' (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is derived from it.
"Muhammad" means "Repeatedly and Abundantly Praised".
Among the
creatures the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) deserves to be
praised and he is the origin of all perfection's. Whatever excellence anyone
has received, it is through the blessings, reflection and perfection of the
Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam).
Imam Muhammad
Busiri (Rahmatullahi Ta'ala Alaih) says in his Qaseeda Hamziyah, “How can the
Prophets (Salatuwas Salam) achieve the rank and status of the Holy Prophet
Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa? (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) O Horizon! No horizon can compare
with you in splendor. They cannot reach the exaltedness of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam). The eminence and light of the Prophet helped them to reach the
Prophet. They are showing the people the reflection of the Holy
qualities of the Prophet as the water shows the image of the stars.”
A comparison of
the qualities of the Prophet is made with the stars, as they are innumerable.
The Prophet's brightness is like water. The water due to its cleanliness
receives the image of the stars and reflects them. Darood and Salam be upon
him, his descendants and companions.
A person is
praised for his qualities and excellence. Among the creatures all the qualities
and excellence are for the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) and whatever
anyone else has, it is through the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam). The
Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) said: "Allah grants and I
distribute". No distinction has been made here between what Allah Ta' ala
grants and what the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) distributes. This is
the proof of the Holy Prophet's (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) comprehensiveness.
What is there that is not granted by Allah? Anything that Allah has granted to
anyone, the Prophet is the distributor of it. What is there, that is also here!
Whatever one achieves, whatever is granted from beginning to end and whatever
is seen and unseen, in the soul, in the heavens and the earth, in the world and
the hereafter - this will carry on for eternity and he deserves all blessings
above any other creature. May Allah shower His Blessings and Peace on Him, his
progeny and companions.
The Holy Prophet
(Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) attracts all with his blessings. There are two kinds
of attraction: Firstly, when one is attracted and no resistance is made; the
second, when there is resistance. The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam)
says; "You fall on the fire like moths and I am pulling you out holding
your waistband so that you come to me".
This is the state
of attraction. This is the special quality of the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) that he links the creatures to the Creator. The Hadith also indicates
to the utmost beginning that this is a special quality of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam).
The Holy Prophet
(Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) says in another Hadith, "Jabir! Indeed before
all the worlds Allah created your Prophet's light from His Own light." (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam)
Within Creation,
the Prophet is the origin of every existence and perfection as well as the
origin of existence the creatures. Peace and Blessings of Allah ' upon him, his
descendants and companions. Every
individuality and every perfection ends with him, too. He is the first Prophet
to be Created and al the last Prophet to come into the world. (Peace and
Blessings be upon him, his descendants and companions and upon all the
prophets).
`Tilmesnari'
narrates from Abdullah bin Abbas (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma) that, "Once
Jibril (Alaihis Salam) attended the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) and
greeted him like this, `Assalamu Alaikum O, the First; Assalamu Alaikum O, the
Last; Assalamu Alaikum O, the Manifest! Assalamu Alaikum O, the Hidden!'
Allah has
mentioned some of His own Holy Attributes in the Holy Quran as:
"He is the First, the Last, the
Manifest, and the Hidden, and He knows everything."(See Surah Hadid, 3).
Hearing this, the
Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) said, "O Jibril (Alaihis Salam), these
are the Attributes of my Lord". Jibril
(Alaihis Salam) replied, "Of course, these are the Attributes of Allah,
but He has bestowed on you these attributes, too. Allah has made you the First,
created your light before all creatures. Allah made you the last and sent you
after all the Prophets. He made you manifest and sent you with the clear
miracles that none can dare to doubt and He made you the Hidden with such
extreme manifestation that even the sun cannot reach your brightness. The sun
and other brightness are all your reflections."
There is, maybe,
doubt in the sun, but no doubt in his manifestation is possible. For
example, we see a bright flash of light in the midday equal to the sun and
consider it is certainly the sun, but its shine is different, as moonshine is different and the Prophet says that this is
not from the sun but a spark from the empyrean region. Then undoubtedly, every
Muslim will believe in this statement of the Holy Prophet recognizing his eyes
to be deceiving him. Is it not that the light of the sun is concealed yet there
is no concealment for the Holy Prophet The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) is many times brighter than the sun. And this is the state of his
unseen and in reality no one save Allah is aware of the true reality of the
Prophet, since it is Allah Himself Who has taught his knowledge to the Holy
Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam).
Hazrat Abu Bakr
Siddique (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anh) received more than the others in the Ummah
and so his position is higher in the whole Ummah. Even the Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam) said even to him "0 Abu Bakr, (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anh), no
one save Allah knows me as I am."
He is so hidden
that except for Allah, no one knows him yet he is so manifest that everything
in the Universe knows him. This is the state of his perfection. Hazrat Abu Bakr
Siddique knows the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) according to his
status and Hazrat Jibril (Alaihis Salam) knows him according to his position
and other Prophets and the Messengers according to their ranks, but only Allah,
who is his Creator, knows his true reality - no one else knows his true reality.
Allah is more
modest than all the worlds. The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) said
this about Sa'ad bin Abadah (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu): "He is modest, but
I am more modest than him and Allah is more modest than me".
And so it is said
that no one save Allah knows him as he is.
We are pleased that we are blessed to see him whilst sleeping. The world
is a dream and its awakening is sleep. Amirul Momineen Maula Ali (Karam Allahu
Ta'ala Wajhul Kareem) says: "People sleep and when they die they will
wake."
There is a
difference between the dreams and the wakefulness of this world, in that after
the dream, the eyes are opened and there is nothing and here eyes are closed
and there is nothing. The result is the same at both places. "And the life
of this world is nothing except the property of pride."
To see the Holy
Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) in a dream is of course truly to see him.
The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) himself says, "He who saw me saw truth as Satan cannot adopt
my face."
Further, people
see in different shapes and status from one another and that difference is
according to their Iman and status. Everyone sees according to his Iman. Surely
those who saw him in wakefulness saw in him the face of their Iman in this
mirror of God. Otherwise his revealed face has been covered with seventy
thousand curtains. Even if one of these curtains is raised, the sunburning
turns into ashes, as the stars disappear before the sun and the star, which
remains in its conjunction, is said to be in combustion. No one can see Allah
in the wakefulness of this world, nor the beauty of the Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam). But the Prophet saw Allah on the night of 'Miraj' (Ascension)
with his eyes in the state of full consciousness. This happened beyond the
world as the world is from seventh earth to the seventh sky and it happened at ‘La-Maqam’
i.e. out of the time and space.
In short,
everyone saw him in the mirror of his Iman as the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) is a mirror made by Allah. Abu Jahal saw him and said, "I have
not seen such an ugly person in Bani Hashim." The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam) said: "He speaks the truth because he saw himself."
When Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anh) described the Prophet he said, "No one has
been born more beautiful than the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam). The
Prophet is matchless. The Prophet is the sun, neither the Eastern nor the
Western." The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) said: "You
speak the truth."
The Sahaba asked
the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) to clarify the two statements. He
stated: "I am the mirror from my Lord and everyone sees in me - himself.
Abu Jahal, who has the disease of Kufr, saw his Kufr when he looked at me, but
when Abu Bakr gazed, he saw his superior Iman in his beautiful Prophet's
face."
The personality
of the Prophet includes the visible and hidden. There are certain things when
looked upon that can be seen but when fully developed they are difficult to
gaze at or to comprehend fully. The example of this is the sun: to gaze at it
when it is rising is not so difficult. However, when it reaches its full height
and brightness, it is very difficult to gaze at. When it is at its brightest,
the eyes cannot gaze at it. They cannot see it for when it reaches its extreme
manifestation, it reaches a state of extreme concealment.
The sun is a ray
of the Holy Prophet's (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) light (Noor) and
the real sun is the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), whom Allah has made the perfect mirror
for His Person and He has made him perfect in person and attributes. Allah's
blessings and peace be upon him, his descendants and companions. And this is
the reason for Allah giving him the name of "Muhammad" (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), which means
"Abundantly and Repeatedly Praised". This appellation has gathered
all the praises. This is the state of extreme manifestation.
Alif Laam
("Al") of the praise has not joined in his name because he is so
manifest that no one can withhold from his praise. He does not need admiration
as he is in a state of such hidden-ness that he cannot be praised fully except
by His Lord. He is the complete manifestation of the unity of his Lord yet he
is also free from any partnership in his Lord's excellencies and perfections. Imam
Muhammad Busiri says, "He is free from partnership with his qualities.
One atom of his grace is divisible as imaginable and no one can identify him by
his person."
The Person of
Allah Ta' ala is in a state of Holiness (Glorification). The true belief
(Madhab) is that the Holiness (Glorification) is for His Person and Attributes
and for His manifestations. Both are in this Holy verse:
"Nothing
is like Him and He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing."
(Sura
42 (As-Shura) ayah 11)
Nothing is like
Him', is the Tanzih (i.e. Transcendence that disconnects Allah Ta' ala from His
creation) and ` He is the All Hearing, All Seeing', is the simile (I.e. that
which connects).
Allah Ta' ala did
not create the universe as such, neither was there anything in the world of
imagination, nor in the world of likeness. Rather, He created a simile in the
world of similitude for the manifestation. The manifestation is the Holy
Person of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) and Allah is so high and exalted
that He cannot be compared with any likeness.
Of course! What
is the first manifestation? That is the Name of Prophet Muhammad (i.e.
"Abundantly and Repeatedly Praised") (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam). And
this manifestation has been reflected into other manifestations and they are
the other Prophets and Messengers (Alaihimus Salatuwas Salam), as has been
described above in the couplet of Imam Muhammad Busiri (Rahmatullahi Ta'ala
Alaih).
It is said of
Ar-Rahman "The Merciful", this is the rule of `praise' that it points
out the specialty. ‘Ar-Rahman', is the highest of mercy and this is only for Allah
Further it is said of ‘Ar-Rahim', the compassion is for Him. These are the
unlimited Attributes of Allah by which all the Attributes of Allah have
been shown in the veil of Mercy. It is not said: 'Allah is Powerful', but that
`Ar Rahmanir Rahim' manifests His absolute Mercy and Compassion.
This is the
mirror of Allah Ta' ala's Person where all Attributes are gathered into Mercy:
- 'and we sent not you (O Muhammad), but as a Mercy for all the Worlds."
The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is the Mercy for the former and
latter in the world and the Hereafter and for the Angels, for all the
Mu'mineen. He is also Mercy for the Kaffirs, Polytheists, Hypocrites and
Apostates in the world. They are also safe from the Torment and Anger because
of the Mercy brought by and embodied in the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) in this world.
The Quran says,
"And Allah is not one to chastise them until O Beloved Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam) you are in their midst." (Surah Anfal, Ayah 33). And for this
purpose He did not say, ‘ . . .and we
raise him up to a lofty building' like Idris (Alaihis Salam), even though the
dead bodies of His slaves and devotees have been raised to the Heavens.
Sayyidi Umar
bin-al-Faridh (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anh) saw a funeral in the jungle. All Awliya
were gathered but the funeral prayer was not performed. He asked the reason for
the delay.
He was told that they were waiting for the Imam. He saw a
person hastily coming from the mountain. When he came near, he saw that he was
the very same person who had been laughed at by the gangsters who had beaten
him in the town. He had become an Imam and Sayyidi Umar bin-al Faridh and
others had become his follower. Whilst in prayer, they saw a gathering of the
green birds and when the prayer was over the birds took the dead body in their
beaks and flew away into the sky. He asked about the person whose funeral
prayer had been performed. He was told that the dead person was one who dearly
loved the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) and the dead body of such a person was not to remain on the
earth, so that the creatures would be safe from the worldly torment.
Paradise is a
reflection of the Mercy of the Prophet. Hell has also been made from His Mercy
as here (even) the revenging qualities are also amongst the spark of the Mercy.
This also makes clear that Paradise is the estate of those who dearly love the
Prophet. The creation of Hell is also Mercy with two aspects. There are three
reasons for which a king is obeyed. Firstly, the obedience to the king because
he is the king. Secondly, for the reward given by the king that if you obey
him, you will be rewarded. This is the mercy. Thirdly, the rebellious who do
not care for the rewards are to be frightened by the impending
punishments: they know that if they don't obey, they will be punished. The
reward shows Mercy, but the promised lash of torment is also merciful. It is
related to mercy because if they fear the punishment they will not become
worthy of punishment. They may become obedient and be worthy of the reward.
Hell is thus a mercy that saves the people of the world due to the fear of
punishment. The other aspect is that the Kaffirs afflicted those beloved of Allah
and insulted them, so Allah made
Hell to avenge their suffering. The value of a good thing is known by its
opposite. The value of heat is understood by coldness and vice versa and the
value of light by darkness, as things are identified by their opposites. Those
who follow The Messenger become worthy of Paradise. If they deliberately choose
not to follow Allah's Beloved Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), Hell
will be their destination. So the value of following Allah's Prophet is made
clear. May Allah shower His Blessings upon our Master Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam) the fountain of generosity and kindness, and all his descendants and
companions.
The Holy Prophet
(Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is Allah's Mercy for all the worlds. The Mercy of Allah
means to take care of the welfare of slaves. There are two things which are
needed for; one, the creature who conveyed the good (welfare virtue); second,
the virtue itself. Good is the product existence of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam). Had the Holy
Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) not come, there
would be no receive the virtue, then there would be no manifestations of
Allah's Mercy.
Since all the
blessings, excellences and perfections are the products of the existence of the
Prophet, and all the worlds are in existence because of the existence of the
Prophet, then Mercy is under his obligation.
Whatever blessing
has been granted either to any Prophet, or Messenger or Angel, or anyone else,
they distributed by the Prophet and the Holy Quran him, "The Favour
(Fadhl) of Allah."
The Holy Quran
also refers to:
"Those who changed the of Allah
with unthankful ness"
(Surah Iim, 28)
Whilst explaining
this verse, Hazrat Sayyidina Abdullah bin Abbas (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma)
said, "Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is the favour (Fadhl)
of Allah" So celebrate the birth of the Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam)
is according to the order of Allah who also says:
"And publicise well the favour
of your lord"
(Surah 93 [Ad-Duha], ayah 11)
The birth of the
Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) has more eminence than all the
other favours. Through his Holy Birth (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), everything small or big can be
prosperous and blessed in the World, in the Grave, on Doomsday, in Paradise and
at every moment and in every place and could remain so indefinitely, Insha-Allah.
We, by following
the order of Allah, publicize well the favour of Allah in the meeting of Milad.
The Celebration of Milad is a thing that Allah has clearly ordered us to do. Allah
says:
“and
publicise well the favour of your Lord”.
The purpose of
celebrating the Milad is to publicize
the Birth, the excellencies, beauty and perfections of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam). To distribute greeting cards or confectioneries are really
not part of its reality, but these acts are permissible. The feast is a good
thing. Allah says:
(Surah Ha Mim, ayah 33)
Sahi Muslim
Sharif, states: The Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) says: "He who
invites the people towards any goodness, he will get a reward equal to all
those who accept his invitation and there would not be any loss, (lack, or
discernment) in his reward."
And the feast and
distribution of confectionary etc are, Virtue, Remuneration, Obligation and
Charity, and they are Lawful, Good and Mustahab (I.e. recommended but not
compulsory). For these meetings, not only do you invite the people; but the
Angels are also invited. Wherever they see the gatherings of Milad, they
invite one another and say, "Here is what you desired ", and then
from there, they spread all over the world.
You distribute
the sweets in this world and the Mercy is distributed by Allah, and that is
generally so clear that even the undeserving ones also get their share.
"He who joins their company is not unfortunate."
Even Hazrat Adam
(Alaihis Salam) celebrated the Milad for the whole of his life and his
descendants continued with this custom. There was never a day when Hazrat Adam
(Alaihis Salam) did not mention the Name of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam). From the first day Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salam) was taught to recite
the Names of Allah. He recited also his Beloved's (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam)
name too. This was practically from the moment when the soul of Hazrat Adam
(Alaihis Salam) entered his body.
His eyes opened
and he saw this Kalimah written on the highest part of the Throne, "La ilaha
ilallahu wa Muhammadur Rasoolullah" - There is no God except Allah and
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam). He requested:
"O my Lord! Who is he whose name You have written along with Your Name?" Allah
said, "O Adam (Alaihis Salam)! He is the Last and Final Prophet and among your descendants. Had I not
created him, I would not have created you. I have created you because of him. Had
I not created him, neither would I have created you, nor the earth or
sky".
So Hazrat Adam
(Alaihis Salam) was given the title `Abu Muhammad' (Father of Muhammad) (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam). When he opened his eyes, Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salam) was told
his Holy Name and then he heard the Angels singing this name. He always
remembered that lesson and always mentioned and publicized it well. When the
time of his departing from the world came, he said to his son Seth (Alaihis
Salam), "O my son! You will be Caliph after me and you will never attain
piety without the Last Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), as
he is a firm knot of piety. When you remember Allah, you must remember the Holy
Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam). I have seen the Angels in
remembrance of the Prophet continually."
The first
assembly was held on the day of the Covenant and he was publicized there too.
The Holy Quran says in Surah 3 (Al Imran) ayats 81-83:
“And
remember when Allah took a Covenant from the Prophets, `I give you a Book and
Wisdom, then will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you (I.e. the
message you bring), then surely you shall believe in him and surely you shall
help him.”
“Allah
Ta' ala also said, Do you agree and do you accept my heavy responsibility on
it?' All the Prophets (Salatuwas Salam) submitted, `We do confirm.”
“Allah said, `Then be witness
against one another and I am Myself among the witnesses. Who so turns away
after this, then they are the disobedient sinners.”
In the assembly
of the Covenant, Allah called to mind and described His Prophet and all the
other Prophets listened and accepted and gave their word to believe in him and
help him. Their Prophet hood was conditional on it. First of all, Allah
mentioned the honor of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) and for all
to accept his obedience, and then Allah says, "Then comes to you the
Messenger." The first assembly to honour the Prophet was that very same
assembly of all the Prophets (Alaihimus Salatuwas Salam). In that Milad
celebration, Allah describes and the Prophets (Salatuwas Salam) were His
audience.
In short, a Milad
celebration like this one, has been held in each era. All the Prophets and
Messengers from Hazrat Adam, to Ibrahim, Moosa, Dawood, Suleiman, and
Zakaria (Alaihimus Salatuwas Salam) celebrated the Milad of the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) in their ages.
Then Isa (Alaihis Salam), Son of Mary (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhuma), whom Allah
brought into being without a father as a sign to all the worlds - Sayyidina
`Isa' (Alaihis Salam) came saying, "O Children of Israel, I am the
Messenger of Allah to you,
confirming The Taurat before me, and conveying the glad news of the Messenger
who will come after me, whose name is "Ahmad". (Sallalaho alyhi
wassalam). (Surah Al Saff 6)
When the time of
the holy birth of Ahmad- Muhammad (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) drew near, there
was a Milad celebration in all the worlds of Angels, the Throne and also on the
Earth. The Angels were celebrating the Milad. They were attending, rejoicing,
standing and bowing. Jibril and Mikail were present, (Alaihimus Salam). The
Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), for whom all this was created was
being waited upon. There was a rejoicing in the seven heavens and everywhere.
Think of how a man of worldly power would like to make preparation for the
happiness which he had been waiting a long time for! Then wonder at what a
preparation of rejoicing Almighty Allah would make at the time of the coming of
His Beloved for whom He has created everything!
He has been
preparing the prelude for thousands and millions of years. Satan envied all
that preparation and those who are Satan's followers were also envious and will
burn in envy forever. The slaves are rejoicing, they celebrate the Milad of the
Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) who will save them. He is such a
supporter who is unique and matchless. Allah's Blessing and Peace be upon him,
his progeny and his companions.
One ordinary man
can save one person. If somebody were very strong he could save perhaps twenty
persons. Here there are millions and billions of people going astray, but the
One Protecting Friend is the only one who says that he is pulling you by
holding your waistband saying, "Come to me", Allah's Blessings and
Peace be upon him, his descendants and his companions. This saying is not
exclusively for the companions, but by Allah Ta' ala Who has made him as a
Mercy for all the Worlds, even today, he is holding all Muslims by their
waistbands so that he saves them from Hell. Allah's Blessings and Peace be upon
him, his progeny and his companions. What a supporter we have! Even his one
finger point is sufficient for the person who has fallen to the lowest of the
low.
This is such a
sorrow for Iblis and all of his followers who dislike all this festivity.
The followers of Iblis are still grieving and hate the rejoicing of the Milad.
The Angels of the seven skies celebrate Milad festivity. The Greatest Throne is
moving with the rejoicing on Milad. One banner is placed in the East, a second
banner in the West and the third banner on the roof of the Kaba; and his
sovereignty is from the East to the West and the entire world is under his
dominion.
The time has come of the Manifestation of that wish, whose
birth has been celebrated since the beginning and who has been congratulated
and welcomed. What a preparation of rejoicing Almighty Allah has made! Jibril
(Alaihis Salam) brought one cup of the drink from Paradise for Hazrat Aminah
(Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anha), and he requested, "Make yourself manifest, O
Seal of the Prophets! Make yourself manifest, O Generous Leader of all the
former and the latter! O Bridegroom of both worlds!"
The rejoicing
procession is adorned and now it is the time of the Holy Prophet's (Sallalaho
alyhi wassalam) Birth. Then the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam) is
manifested like a radiant full moon.
Muslims offer
Durood to the Holy Prophet (Sallalaho alyhi wassalam), standing to attention
towards Holy Madinah whilst standing in Milad, Durood and Salam be upon the
Prophet, Messenger of Allah.
Durood and Salam be upon the Prophet, Prophet of Allah.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, Beloved of Allah.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, Best of all the creatures of Allah.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, sun of the horizon of Allah.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, distributor of the sustenance of Allah.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, sent by Allah gently and easily.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Grace of the Throne of Allah.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Supreme Messenger.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Intercessor of the Sinners.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the most generous of all the former and the latter.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Prophet of all the Prophets.
Durood and Salam be upon the Prophet, the Great Hope. Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, whose generosity and reward are known to all.
Durood and Sallam
be upon the Prophet, the Remover of all the Sins and Faults.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Beloved of the Lord of the earth and sky.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Rectifier of good actions.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Prophet of the Harmain (Makkah and Madinah).
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the means of forgiveness of mistakes.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Chief of both the Qibla.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Leader of both the worlds.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, our Intermediary in both worlds.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, the Master of Qaba Qausain. ('This indicates the `Miraj).
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, to whom Allah bestowed all grace.
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, grandfather of Hassan and Hussain (radi Allahu Ta' ala
anh).
Durood and Salam
be upon the Prophet, whom Allah purified from every blemish.
Durood and Salam be upon the Prophet, who is guided by Allah. Durood and
Salam be upon the Prophet, the Hidden Pearl of Allah.
Durood and Salam be upon the Prophet, the Light of Hearts and Eyes.
Durood and Salam be upon the Prophet, the Pleasure of sad Hearts.